Sit-insBy: Jhiezer Sanchez

Background Info

What lead to this event happening?

It all started when four African-American college students walked up to a whites-only lunch counter and asked for coffee. When service was refused, the students sat patiently and the students sat quietly and waited to be served.

When and where did this happen?

This happened on February 1, 1960 at a whites-only lunch counter at the local Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina

4 African-American College Students waiting to be served at an all-white lunch counter

Goal of the Event

What was the event trying to accomplish?

Sit-in organizers believed that if the violence were only on the part of the white community, the world would see the righteousness of their cause that they wanted to be treated equally.

Who was involved?

Demographics

The people that were involved in the sit-ins were students from the North and the South which came together and formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) was also involved.

What important people were involved in this event and how did they impact the event?

Some important leaders included in the Sit-Ins were Stokely Carmichael and Fannie Lou Hamer who were leaders of the SNCC. The Congress on Racial Equality (CORE) was a northern group of students led by James Farmer, which also endorsed direct action.

Julian Bond (Front) with members of the SNCC

Obstacles they had to overcome

What kind of obstacles were these groups facing?

Some obstacles African-Americans had to face during Sit-Ins were to be non-violent even if they’re being yelled at, made fun of, brutally beaten, etc.

How did they overcome these obstacles?

Most of the people overcame these obstacles by having intense training physically and emotionally.

College students prepared for non-violent disobedience for Sit-In harrasment

Outcome/Lasting impact of the event

How did this event impact today / What are the lasting effects?

This event has had an impact to this day because nowadays many different people of different races get along with each other and if their is racial discrimination seen in jobs and restaurants there will be consequences unlike back then.

Sources:

Gains and Pains. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://www.ushistory.org/us/54e.asp